The Influence of Japanese Architecture on the Works of Richard Neutra Cole Wagner
Table of Contents ~ 4: Window Walls ~6: Kaufmann Desert House ~8: Flat Roofs ~10: Staircases ~12: Interaction With Nature ~14: Bibliography
Window Walls Window Walls in Japanese Architechture>
Window walls are a modern versions of shoji doors that serve the same purpose. Architects from around the world, especially Neutra integrated them into their works.
<Shoji Doors in Japanese architecture
Shoji doors became popular around the 12th century as a key element in shoin-zukuri style architecture. However, they were not widely used amoung commoners until the 17th century.
Window walls were a staple of Richard Neutraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designs. Most of his works feature them in some capacity. The Singleton House (up), Hammerman House (left), and Rados House (right) are just a few examples.
Kaufmann Desert House
Kaufmann commissioned Neutra for his vacation home because he liked his modernist approach, and material choice, especially the glass. “The way in which Neutra designed the Kaufmann House was such that when the sliding glass doors were opened the differentiation of interior and exterior was blurred as if it was a sinuous space.” The Kaufmann Desert House was built for Edgar Kaufmann in 1946 as a vacation home. It is Richard Neutra’ most famous work.
Flat Roofs
“For much of the architecture profession, flat roofs are something of an aesthetic obligation. To those outside the design intelligentsia, flat roofs long ago became a cultural cliché.”
Flat roofs become like â&#x20AC;&#x153;a fifth facadeâ&#x20AC;? when architects fully embrace them. Neutra is no exception. A significant majority of his designs feature flat roofs. The Lovell House (top left), Hammerman House (top right), and The Kaufmann Desert House (right). No two Neutra houses had identical roofs, and no roofs were just one single boring slab. Variations in height, depth, clearance and overhang, made each building, and roof unique, and interesting. They became almost as big of a staple in his designs and his window walls.
Floating Staircases
Floating staircases are used to give a space a more open feel. Their absence of structure makes them lighter, both visually and physically. By removing the bulky supports beneath them, they become more aesthetically pleasing and can make even the smallest rooms feel much larger. Neutraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designs tend to have a light weight, open, and inviting feel that floating staircases can only help. Some designs that include them are the Kaufmann Desert House (top left), Miramar Naval Station (top Right), and VDL Studio and Residences (bottom left).
Interaction With Nature
Tree-lined pathway leading to building enterance
Natural element connecting an indoor/outdoor space
A frequent element within Japanese architecture is for the house enterance and property to be separated. When this strategy is implemented a path, surrounded in natural elements, is used to connect them. Neutra draws inspiration from this in works like The Kaufmann Desert House (right), VDL Studio and Residence (bottom right), and Mariners Medical Arts (bottom left).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Freeman, Michael. Space: Japanese Design Solutions for Compact Living. New York: Universe Publishing, 2004.
Ishimoto, Tatsuo, and Kiyoko Ishimoto. The Japanese House, Its Interior and Exterior. New York: Crown, 1963.
Schiattarella, Amedeo. Richard Neutra 1892-1970. Roma: Officina, 1993.
Miyake, Masahiro. House Vision: New Spaces for Japanese Residential Architecture. Mulgrave: Images Publishing, 2015.
Hines, Thomas S. Richard Neutra and the Search for Modern Architecture: a Biography and History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1982.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;John Rados House, by Richard Neutra.â&#x20AC;? Easy Reader News, January 28, 2020. https://easyreadernews.com/john-rados-house-by-richardneutra/.
Kroll, Andrew. “AD Classics: Kaufmann House / Richard Neutra.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, January 16, 2011. https://www.archdaily. com/104112/ad-classics-kaufmann-house-richard-neutra.
“WHAT’S ON THE MARKET: Singleton House by Richard Neutra: Journal.” The Modern House, December 14, 2012. https://www.themodernhouse.com/journal/whats-on-the-market-singleton-house-by-richard-neutra/.
“Kaufmann House.” Marmol Radziner, June 11, 2019. http://www.marmol-radziner.com/kaufmann-house-architecture/.
Irul, Blogspot. “Idea 33 Modern JapaneseArchitecture.” Idea 33 Modern JapaneseArchitecture. Blogger, February 24, 2019. https://minimalistarchitecturehomes.blogspot.com/2019/02/idea-33-modern-japanesearchitecture.html.
Airoldi, Donna M. “Richard Neutra-Designed Mid-Century Gem in Bel Air.” Mansion Global. Mansion Global, March 26, 2018. https:// www.mansionglobal.com/articles/richard-neutra-designed-mid-century-gem-in-bel-air-91829.
Barragan, Bianca. “Richard Neutra’s Modernist Masterpiece in Silver Lake Named National Landmark.” Curbed LA. Curbed LA, January 11, 2017. https://la.curbed.com/2017/1/11/14243384/richard-neutras-vdl-silver-lake-national-historic-landmark.
Reiner-Roth, Shane. “Owners of Richard Neutra’s Lovell House Are Seeking a Preservation-Minded Buyer.” Archpaper.com, January 28, 2020. https://archpaper.com/2020/01/richard-neutra-lovell-house-preservation-minded-buyer/.
“Suspended Wooden Staircase Floats on Air.” Captivatist, November 22, 2015. http://captivatist.com/modern-architecture/draft-suspendedwooden-staircase-floats-on-air.html.
Nagano, Go! “How to Replace the Paper on ‘Shoji’ Doors.” All About Japan. Accessed April 2, 2020. https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/3513/.
“Shōji.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, March 28, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shōji.
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Dickinson, Duo. “Why Do Architects Remain Obsessed with Flat Roofs?” Common Edge, September 1, 2019. https://commonedge.org/ why-do-architects-remain-obsessed-with-flat-roofs/.
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